


what are friends for?

by ao3ficwriter



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24880246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ao3ficwriter/pseuds/ao3ficwriter
Summary: He’s too short for her. Too manic. Too rich.And that day, early on, when he crashed into her and held on to her for dear life while he woke from his nightmare? That was definitely NOT the best hug she’s had all year.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	1. you’re the one i like talking to

Dani watches Bright pace, his hair whipping back and forth as he jerks his head this direction then that. His slim form is perfectly accentuated by his impeccably tailored suit.

Look at him. He’s basically bite-sized. 

She normally goes for tall guys. 6 foot minimum, or don’t bother to apply. She knows she can afford to have strict standards. There are millions of guys out here in New York, and it pays to have some kind of arbitrary filter. Plus, she hates the idea of her boyfriend being able to fit in her clothes. No judgement for anyone who likes that, it’s just not for her. But somehow her eye keeps flitting up and down all 5 foot 7 inches of him…

But where is this coming from? Focus, Dani. This is a ridiculous train of thought.

Just looking at him some mornings makes her tired. Makes her want to immediately turn around and grab the next train home, curl up in her bed and stay there all day. She loves this job, don’t get her wrong, but the powers that be still have to pay her to do it. It’s still her work, and she needs a break sometimes. But Malcolm (whoa, sorry, BRIGHT)… this IS his break. From his constant work of not turning into his father. She gets that now. This is the only time he’s free. Which makes it hard not to want to help him stay in this zone. To feed his need for distraction and purpose. Try twice as hard to come up with some tidbit he hasn’t already noticed, comb through your files until two in the morning coming up with something useful to offer up in tomorrow’s briefing, hoping you can help him feel like a whole person for just a split second when he solves the case.

But Bright’s just a colleague. And if she doesn’t take care of herself, who will?

Let’s talk about that suit for another minute. No, who cares about the suit. It’s the loft that really blows her mind. Fully twenty times the size of the closet she lives in. The easy decadence of his lifestyle is unfathomable. If it were presented as a cosmic choice, she’d almost understand someone who said they’d take a serial killer dad if it came with that apartment. Not Dani, though. No deal. She’s seen his tortured psyche up close a few too many times. She’s almost glad he has that kind of wealth to ease his way. It’s a different kind of life though. Imagine a week of dating in New York on a Whitly budget. No restaurant off limits, no show overbooked. No rooftop too elite or line too long to cut. And think of the jewelry…

Okay, what? That’s it, Dani. Enough. Since when are you a gold digger?

He’s too short for her. Too manic. Too rich. 

And that day, early on, when he crashed into her and held on to her for dear life while he woke from his nightmare? That was definitely NOT the best hug she’s had all year.

How lonely is she, exactly? Might need to redownload Hinge tonight.

Bright’s done spouting out his profile, Gil’s assigned them to check out the victim’s dorm, and Dani scowls at her own lack of attention. She’ll have to pull JT aside to ask for a recap.

Bright catches her expression. “You okay, Dani?”

“Of course.”

Bright quirks his head. “You sure?”

Dani hesitates. What the hell. How about the truth. At least it explains why it’s such a struggle for her to focus this morning.

“You’re not the only one who has trouble sleeping sometimes.”

Bright’s big ice-blue eyes bore into hers. “I’m sorry.” Dani keeps his glance for a moment before she has to look away. “You want to hear my profile again?” he says. It’s soft, delicate.

“JT can catch me up. I’ll get him to give me an overview.”

Bright shakes his head. “I don’t mind going over it on the way.” He catches her eye again. “You’re the one I like talking to.”


	2. you’re gonna be fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani reaches out and covers his shaking hand with her own. For once, his hands are the cold ones. 
> 
> Spoilers for events in the season finale.

Dani tries to focus on the paperwork in front of her. Logging evidence is usually easy – beats interrogation any day. But Bright’s sitting on one side of her, and his damn hand shaking keeps drawing her attention.

His phone rings.

“Mother. To what do I owe—”

Her forceful tones come through clear as day, even though Dani’s fully five feet away. “My boy—”

“Don’t—don’t call me that.” Bright’s hand only shakes faster. Dani finds she can’t look away. Forget logging evidence. Something’s happening. 

“Fine, Malcolm. Just don’t be late tonight. You know I need your… support.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, like he’s trying to force the images from the last thousand nightmares out of his memory. He’s burrowing into himself…burrowing into the pain…

Dani reaches out and covers his shaking hand with her own. For once, his hands are the cold ones. Hers are warm. She snakes her fingers inside his fist and he presses them to his palm.

“Bright.”

She says it softly. Jessica doesn’t need to know he’s not alone. Dani shoots him a smile as he opens his eyes, blinking like he’s emerging from a dark tunnel. His eyes meet hers for a moment, before he refocuses on his call.

Bright forces out an answer, almost like he’s out of breath. “Of course. I’ll… be there.”

He ends the call and puts his head down, his forehead resting on the back of Dani’s hand as she stills his shaking one.

“You okay, Bright?”

He lets out a stream of warm breath that ends in part laugh, part sob. But he perks up a bit – raises his head, shoots her a half-smile. He still holds her hand, now with both of his.

“My mother insists on family dinner once a week. Especially since Ains… well, she’s particularly worried about Ainsley being too isolated while she waits for her trial.”

Dani nods her head, trying to read him.

“And you? Are you worried about that?”

Bright lets out another half-laugh breath. “I wish that was it.”

Finally, it clicks for Dani.

“You’re afraid of her.”

“Let’s just say that all these family dinners have been take-out from trusted restaurants. And no one’s had a cup of tea in months.”

Dani gives him her patented pursed-lip 'are you really making a joke right now?' face. In return, she gets a smile. More than that, it turns out.

Bright looks down at their clasped hands, then up to meet her eyes. “Want to join me and my troubled family for dinner? I could use the… backup.”

Dani sometimes wonders how she got to this point. She’s actually considering dinner with an intimidating socialite, the son of a serial killer, and an actual murderer. But she doesn’t hesitate.

“Take out sounds great. As long as you let me get some work done first.”

He looks confused. “How was I preventing you from working?”

She nods to their still-clasped hands. “The shaking is pretty bad today. Worse than a strobe light for trying to focus.”

Bright nods. “You’re right.” He gives her hand another squeeze. “This is helping though.”

Dani gives his hand one last gentle squeeze, and looks him dead in the eyes so he knows she means she’ll do everything in her power to make it true: “You’re gonna be fine.”


End file.
